shoehorning

Verb

shoehorn (third-person singular simple present shoehorns, present participle shoehorning, simple past and past participle shoehorned)

1. (literally) To use a shoehorn.
2. (figuratively, transitive) To force (something) into (a tight space); to squeeze (something) into (a schedule, etc); to exert great effort to insert or include (something); to include (something) despite potent reasons not to.
   • I shoehorned his dozen burgeoning bags into the backseat of my tiny car, and off we went.
3. (figuratively, transitive) To force some current event into alignment with some (usually unconnected) agenda, especially when it is fallacious.
   • People claiming to be psychic may shoehorn an event into fulfillment of some vague past prediction.

See all 6 meanings of shoehorn